[sarthakgupta]

Details about the Datsun upcoming sedan

....Codenamed NKD 2196, the budget sedan is based on an extended platform of the LADA Granta. The LADA brand is owned by AvtoVAZ – a Russian automaker. Renault-Nissan have a 25% stake in AvtoVAZ giving them access to LADA cars.....

Source:Juicy details of Datsun

[CARDEEP]

Here is link to article on rendering of the above sedan (as per report uploaded on ICB):

http://www.indiancarsbikes.in/cars/a...nterweb-62356/

[sarthakgupta]

Pricing info for Datsun announced:

“Specifically, in India, our core offer will be priced below INR400,000. For Indonesia, less than US$10,000. For Russia, the core offer will be below RUB400,000 (US$12,752).”

The outlet reports that the first Datsuns will be Nissan vehicles that have reached the end of their lifecycle, similar to how Nissan sells the Tsuru, a decades old Sentra, in Mexico. These vehicles have long ago had their costs amortized, and can be sold profitably at a low sticker price.

Link:http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...ing-announced/ and http://www.just-auto.com/news/nissan..._id127734.aspx

[pacman2881]

A detailed analysis on Nissan's plans and challenges at WSJ-
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...279919750.html

Excerpts-

...offering the cheapest Datsun model for about $3,000 to $5,000. The lowest price is nearly a third the price of its most inexpensive car, the $8,000 Tsuru compact sold in Mexico

Mr. Ghosn said the company was committed to offering six Datsun vehicles, due out beginning in 2014

But both the overall strategy and selection of Datsun to lead the cut-rate charge has already faced some opposition within the company and is likely to cause concern among some analysts and car buffs…
But to have a shot at keeping the price at $3,000 for the lowest-priced model—which even Nissan officials concede will be a hard to pull off
Inside the company, some executives are worried the campaign diverts scarce resources needed to bolster established products in established markets.

Countering his competitors' criticisms, he promised to roll out a car that will be "modern and fresh," because buyers in emerging markets want an automobile "that makes them feel good and is in their budget." He describes the new Datsun as one of the company's main "accelerators of growth," a key weapon in a plan to lift global market share in units to 8% by 2016, up from 6%.

...in the quest to make a profit despite charging rock-bottom prices, Nissan officials say they will have to take a bare-bones approach to comfort and safety, tailoring to societies less coddled than developed markets. For example, the cars will only offer manual transmissions and their exhaust systems will be noisier and vibrate more, much as they did before the addition of silencers and stabilizers, according to people familiar with Nissan's plans. Datsun's team is also peeling back the now-typical multilayered approach to safety for markets that care less about it than the U.S. "If an accelerator pedal sticks, they tend to overlook it rather than obsess," says Datsun team senior adviser Tokuichiro Hosaka, referring to emerging-market buyers.

Some exploratory group members spent stints of up to four months immersing themselves in India, sharing meals with focus-group participants and conducting repeated home visits to learn about their driving habits. One result: few Indians desired side or rear air bags hidden in the body panels, but most wanted a prominent bonnet out front as a perceived crash buffer in case of a head-on accident.

…according to a sketch viewed by the Journal, the reincarnated car will have its familiar hexagonal-shaped front end and honeycomb grille with a blue Datsun badge. Other features may not be as glamorous.

[sgiitk]

I feel sorry for the original brand name being used for the bottom (or should I call it sub-bottom) range of cars from the Nissan-Renault stable.

[indivic]

Originally Posted by sarthakgupta

Pricing info for Datsun announced:



Link:http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...ing-announced/ and http://www.just-auto.com/news/nissan..._id127734.aspx

Originally Posted by pacman2881

A detailed analysis on Nissan's plans and challenges at WSJ-
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...279919750.html

Excerpts-

The Tsuru was/is what the Indica is currently in India - a cabbie favorite.It was heavily outdated already in 2002 when I was in Mexico, but it was very cheap to buy, reliable, had good space,fairly fuel efficient (except fuel was not cheap like it was in US) and a decent drive.

I am just hoping that Renault- Nissan do better than what ACI reported a few months back - i.e. make a new body for the 2nd gen Nissan Micra.

[volkman10]

Datsun first car to premiere in India by July 2013

Two low cost hatchbacks with code names K2 and I2 are being developed in India which, when ready, will be the protagonists that are assigned to resurrect the long forgotten Datsun moniker. The I2 will be an entry level model while the K2 is touted to be a B Segment warrior.

Apart from India which is going to be Datsun’s first stop, other emerging markets Indonesia and Russia are also being targeted for the Datsun revival.

There is also a 7 seat MPV spin off from the K2 platform which is expected to be unveiled few months after the K2 possibly in Indonesia which has a strong affinity towards MPVs.

The three cars are being designed at Renault Nissan Technology & Business Centre India (RNTBCI) which is located in Chennai.

The trio of Datsuns are expected to be showcased at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo and should go on sale later in that year.

http://indianautosblog.com/2012/12/d...#ixzz2FNK8wJDl

[volkman10]

Nissan plans to invest over 1,500 crores in the existing Chennai plant to ramp up the capacity for manufacturing Datsun models expected here in 2014.

The report adds that Nissan plans to sell at least 16,000 units of the Datsun brand every month. With the fresh capacity in place, Nissan-Renault-Datsun plans to increase their market share in an auto market dominated by Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata Motors. The strategy is that Datsun will sell locally designed cars, Nissan will retail its global portfolio, such as the Micra, Sunny, Slyphy, Evalia, while Renault models will be positioned at a slight premium to Nissan offerings

The plant will also manufacture Nissan’s version of the Duster SUV expected by Diwali.

http://indianautosblog.com/2013/02/n...#ixzz2LdHzSieL

[Eminenttismo]

Now Teased



Source

[rajeev k]

Todays malayalam language daily, Malayala Manorama carries an article that Nissan would shortly launch Kalina a premium hatchback with sub 2 lakh price tag under the Datsun brand name.

[vinjosep]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

Todays malayalam language daily, Malayala Manorama carries an article that Nissan would shortly launch Kalina a premium hatchback with sub 2 lakh price tag under the Datsun brand name.

Wow, thanks for sharing that rajeev.

In the article MM is going gaga over the robustness/ reliability of Russian tech. Not sure if comparison to AK47 is apt, but if what is given (space, reliability, ride comfort etc at such a cost) indeed does translate to reality then this car can be a massive hit. Nissan already have a couple of good engines.

[rock75]

Lada kalina looks like palio to me!

I read somewhere that Datsun will bring previous generation Micra in India.

[rajeev k]

Some more pictures of the Lada Kalina.
Links
News lada-kalina
pictures nissan-datsun

In an interview given to Automotive News, Nissan's top executive for Europe confirmed this information, while earlier this month Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said they are targeting a starting price of 2,300 EUR (3,000 USD) to make it competitive with Chinese cars.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

Some more pictures of the Lada Kalina...

Did Honda flick those tail lights on to the new CR-V?!

Found this video of 2012 1.4L Kalina Sport. I feel the vehicle dimensions & space etc may remain the same if launched in India.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjDifc_xEpk

The guy says it's a 90 bhp engine & 0-100 comes in 11.5s!! Top speed of 170 kmph! The side profile reminds me so much of the Indica Vista!!

[karan561]

Datsun update;

In line with its 10 percent market share plan for 2016, Nissan plans to launch 10 new products by 2016, four of which will be launched in 2013-14. In this fiscal, Nissan plans to launch a CVT version of both the Micra and the Sunny, followed by a compact SUV and two Datsun products (a hatchback on the old Micra platform in January 2014 and an 800cc three-cylinder Hyundai Eon and Tata Nano rival by end-2014).

Source : http://autocarpro.in/contents/NewsDe...px?NewsID=2393